Russia21 Feb 2022 14:32
in ago
Putin says he's considering request to recognize separatist-held regions of Ukraine
From CNN’s Sarah Dean and Anna Chernova in Moscow
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Monday he is considering a request from pro-Russian separatist leaders in eastern Ukraine's breakaway regions to recognize them as independent.
"The purpose of today’s meeting is to listen to colleagues and to determine our further steps in this direction, including the appeal from the leaders of the Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic to Russia seeking recognition of their sovereignty and the resolution of the state Duma on the same subject," Putin told his security council, in comments aired on television.
More context: Even as Russian forces mass on Ukraine's border, the spotlight last week swung back to the rumbling low-intensity war in eastern Ukraine and its possible role in setting the stage for a broader conflict.
The Ukrainians say shelling by the Russian-backed separatists is at its highest in nearly three years, and for their part the separatists allege the use of heavy weapons by Ukrainian armed forces against civilian areas. Ukraine said it recorded more than 100 truce violations in the east, after a day of heavy weapons fire that saw fears of a Russian invasion mount.
The leaders of the two breakaway pro-Russian territories — which call themselves the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics — claimed the Ukrainians are planning a large military offensive in the area. On Friday they organized mass evacuations of civilians to Russia, while instructing men to remain and take up arms.
Sign In
Follow the stocks
